Composing mechanism of type-setting or linotype machines.



Patented Ian. 2|, I902. I

ALBEAN. GI'JMPI'JSING MECHANISM OF TYPE SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

I (Application filed June 29; 1901.) (No Model.)

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Patented Jan. 2|, I902. A. BEAN.

(Application filed June 29, 1901.)

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GOMPOSING MECHANISM 0F TYPE SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

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i .A. BEAN. CIJMPOSING MECHANISM OF TYPE SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

(Applicatioq filed June 29, 1901.) (No Model.)

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Patented Jan. 2|, I902.

A. BEAN.

GOMPOSING MECHANISM OF TYPE SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

(Application filed June 29, 1901.)

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A. BEAN.

GOMPOSING MECHANISM OF TYPE SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

(Application filed June 29, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED BEAN, OF GUILDFORD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERGEN- THALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMPOSING MECHANISM OF TYPE-SETTING 0R LINOTYPE MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 691,583, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed June 29, 1901. Serial No. 66.490. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may ooncerm.

Be it known that I, ALFRED BEAN, of 17 Sycamore road, Guildford, inthe county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Composing Mechanism of Type-Setting or Linotype Ma'- chines; and I do hereby declare-the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in the composing mechanism of typesetting or of linotype machines having the usual complement of finger-keys representing individual characters; and it consists in automatic mechanism by which the escapements of the type-matrix or type-die channels or grooves may at a single manipulation by the operator be operated in the proper order to compose a frequently-recurring word or words without his having recourse to the keyboard of the machine. As instances of such recurring words may be mentioned the word Wanted at the head of each advertisement in some of the columns of a newspaper; per oz. or per lb. and the like in a manufacturers or a merchants price-list; majority in election-returns, and the words used in the address and qualification columns of Voting-lists.

The essence of the invention resides in the combination, with alinotype or analogous machine, of a power-driven mechanism which may be set in action at the will of the operator to automatically and repeatedly assemble the matrices or characters to produce a predetermined word or words.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein as aconvenient example it is represented as applied to the Mergenthaler linotype-machine described in the specification of Letters Patent No. 436,532, dated Septem-' ber 16, 1890,and of which only the keyboard and immediately adjacent parts are shown.

Figure l is a front elevation of the apparatus with the actuating barrel or roller adapted to be released by hand and rotated by motive power and with a part of the index-scale broken away. Fig. 2 is an e1evation of the right-hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectiouon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking toward the right-hand side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a View representing a development of the surface of the actuating barrel or roller. Fig.4 is a front elevation of the index-scale, and Fig. 4 the type-matter adapted to be composed or set up through the medium of the actuating-barrel when arranged in the particular manner shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 6 part of a transverse-section, of a portion of the pinnedbarrel, showing the preferred manner of fitting the pins thereinto; and Fig. 7 is an elevation "of they right-hand end of the apparatus with the actuating barrel or roller arranged for manual rotation.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings similar reference-numerals are used to indicate like or corresponding parts.

In carrying the invention into practice there is provided a barrel or roller 1, mounted to turn in bearings 2 and arranged near to or in operative connection with the lower bank of escapement-rods 3, which connect the usual finger key-levers 4 of the keyboard 5 to the respective escapements and with its surface parallel with the said ban k. The bearings 2, which are rigid on-the main frame 6, are of such a type, either by being provided with easily-adjustable caps 7 or covers' or otherwise, that the barrel or roller 1 can be readily mounted and dismounted, so as to enable one such barrel or roller to be quickly substituted for another.

The barrel or roller 1 has sockets or slotted holes 1, Figs. 5 and G, in its surface adapted to receive pins 8, capable as the barrel is rotated of actuating the escapement-rods 3 in due order. As there must be a minimum time between each actuation of an escapement and the following one, the angle traversed by any point of the circumference of the barrel during this time is set out around the barrel, its circumference being an even multiple of that angle, thereby producing equidistant lines 9, real, as shown, or imaginary and parallel with the axis of the barrel. To enable the barrel 1 to openany one of the escapements, the total number of the latter is set out along the barrel on each of thelines 9, thus producing as many equidistant or substantially equidistant circles 10, real, as shown, or imaginary and at right angles with the axis of the barrel. Thus assuming, as indicated and numbered in Fig. 4, the times or angles to be twenty-four in number and the escapements to be ninety there will be twenty-four multiplied by ninety or two thousand one hu ndred and sixty intersections of lines 9 by circles 10, these intersections being in rows parallel with the bank of escapement-rods 3 and in circles each opposite one oftheescapement-rods. Ateachintersection at which a pin 8 is to be fixed there is formed a seating or slotted hole 1 for receiving said pin, which when in working position projects radially, or nearly so, from the barrel or roller 1. The pins may be fitted in the seatings in any convenient manner, either permanently fixed therein or removable therefrom. If the latter, it is preferred that the means for fixing and unfixing should be easy, quick, and reliable and not likely to readily become worn. The preferred manner of fixing the pins 8 is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This consists in forming the pins with heads 8, which may be passed through the circular parts of the holes 1 and pushed along beneath the narrower or slotted portions 1 of the said holes, the heads then resting on the core 1 of the barrel 1. Each pin 8 and each seating is respectively a replica of all the others.

A convenient way of effecting the operation of the escapement-rods 3 by the pins 8 may be, as shown in the drawings, through the medium of upstanding rods 11, attached one to each of the key-levers at, and each having a hook or abutment 12, with which engages the particular stud or pin 8 appertaining thereto, this engagement continuing untiland ceasing when the escapement is sufficiently opened. There is combined with the barrel or roller 1 an index-scale 13, showing the particular character to which each circle relates, as indicated in Figs. at and 4*. This index-scale, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, is supported by the main frame 6 as near as possible to the barrel or roller 1 without projecting into the path of the pins 8. The composition of ordinary matter is effected by the manipulation of the finger-keys representing the individual characters and controlling the escapement devices, as usual.

The special matter to be composed by the supplemental mechanism is first composed upon the barrel or roller 1 in the following way, the matterviz., \Vanted, clerksviz., 232shown in Fig. 4 being given as an example: The pin 8 for the first character, the full-stop, is fixed in a seating 1 at the intersection of the respective circle 10 and No. 1 of the lines 9; the pin for the second character, the TV, is fixed in a seating at the intersection of the appropriate circle 10 and No. 2 of the lines 9; the pin for the third character, the a, is fixed in a seating at the intersection of the appropriate circle 10 and No. a

3 of the lines 0, and so on to the end. If, however, the matter contain two like characters, the pin for the second is on the same circle 10 as the first one. For instance, in the example shown the pins for the two numbers 2 are fixed in the same circle 10 on the lines 21 and 23. The barrel 1 thus prepared is mounted in its bearings 2 and rotated once at a suitable speed, with the effect of making the pins 8 open the respective escapements in the proper order and at the proper intervals. One rotation suffices for one composition, and a suitable stop to prevent the barrel beginning a second composition is desirable; but the rotations may be repeated as often as is necessary.

The means by which a pinned and mounted barrel 1 is rotated may be of any convenient type, provided that each actuation thereof suffices to rotate the roller once. For instance, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the shaft 14 of the barrel 1 may have a continuouslyrotated spur-wheel 15 mounted loosely on it and a sliding clutch-sleeve 16 feathered or splined to it and adapted by a stud or projection 17 to engage a lug or projection 18 on the spur-wheel15, and thereby rotate the barrel. The clutch-sleeve 16 has a spring 19 acting on it, so that there is a constant tendency to move it into engagement with the lug 18, and the outer face of the said sleeve is provided with a cam 20, which engages with an arm 21, secured to a shaft 22, journaled in the main frame 6 and having fixed thereon a keylever A spring 24 tends always to press the free end of the arm 21 toward the shaft 14., and thereby through the cam to hold the clutch-sleeve 16 out of engagement with the lug 18, and it is only when the key-lever 23 is depressed or during the next ensuing rotation of the wheel 15 that the spring 19 causes engagement between the lugs 17 and 18. The key-lever 23 is only momentarily depressed and immediately thereafter released by the operator, the depression allowing the sleeve to be moved into engagement with the lug 18, so that the shaft 14 is rotated and the release allowing the arm 21 to be returned by the spring 24 into the path of the cam 20, which during its further movement by acting on the said arm causes the retraction of the sleeve 16, and consequently efiects the disengagement of the stud 17 from the lug 18, so that the shaft 14 is again brought to rest, this engagement being sufiicient to cause the barrel 1 to make just a single rotation. The spur-wheel 15 may be rotated by a pinion 25, mounted loosely on one of the two usual constantly-rotating shafts 26 of the escapementrod mechanism, this pinion being rotated by a pulley 25, integral with it, and by a crossed belt 26, driven by a pulley 26", fast on the other of the two shafts 26. Instead, however, of employing the gearinglast described for rotating the barrel 1 this function may be performed by a rack normally engaging the wheel 15 and operated in one direction by the operator through a key-lever and in the reverse direction by a spring, a device being provided to disengage the rack from the wheel at the end of each of its alternate motions, or the barrel 1 may be driven by a belt direct from one of the shafts 26, there being a clutch (which may be similar to that previously described) to disengage the driven pulley from the shaft 14 at the completion of each rotation.

If desired, the shaft 14: may be rotated by hand by the means shown in Fig. 7, comprising a pinion 27, fast on a shaft 28, on which is secured a crank-handle 29, two rotations of the said handle in the direction indicated by the arrow at; being required to impart the necessary single rotation to the barrel 1, or the two spur-wheels l5 and 25 may be of equal diameter, so that a single rotation of the han' many barrels 1 as may be desired, each one to have a differentword or different matter composed on it ready for mounting in its bearings, and it is preferred that the shaft 14 be formed in two parts, which may be readily coupled together within the right hand of the two bearings 2, each barrel 1 being rigidly secured on its own shaft portion, which, like all other of such shaft portions, is capable of being readily connected to and disconnected from the shaft portion carrying the clutch-sleeve 16 and wheel 15. A special barrel 1 need not, however, be provided for each different word or for different matter to be composed, as the pins 8 may be readily rearranged whenever any such change is required, though in connection with, particularly,newspapers, where great speed of adj ustment is indispensable, the changing of the complete barrel 1 will generally be found more expeditious than the rearrangement of the pins 8.

Although the barrel 1 is shown in the drawings in what is considered to be the most convenient position by reason of the lower bank of the escapement-rods 3 and the key-levers 4 being more evenly spaced apart than the upper bank of the escapement-rods, it may be mounted in any other position which may be found best suited to special requirements.

Although as an example this invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a Mergenthaler linotype-machine, it will be obvious that it is equally applicable to composing mechanism of other construction.

It will be observed that in my machine there is a system of fiuger-keysby which the quently possible to carry on composition of the characters selected or automatically at will. The advantage of the arrangement lies principally in the fact that frequently-recurring words or phrases may be produced bya single movement on the part of the operator, this automatically-composed matter being introduced at any desired point in the matter composed by hand.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the escapements of a composing mechanism, finger-keys for actuating them individually, and a power-driven mechanism under the control of the operator for actuating predetermined escapements in a predetermined order.

2. In a composing mechanism, the combination of a series of escapements and a barrel with fixed pins in operative connection with the escapements, whereby successive ro- I rel, a clutch for positivelyconnecting the bar rel and driver and for disengaging them, a key-lever for allowing the positive connection and a cam for effecting the disengagement when the barrel has completed each rotation, substantially as set forth.

4. In a composing mechanism, the combination with the escapements, of a pinned. barrel in operative connection therewith, a continuously-rotating driver for turning the barrel, a clutch for positively connecting the barrel and driver, and for disengaging them,- abutments on the driver and clutch, a keylever and lever-arm for allowing the engagement of the ab'utments, and a cam in operative connection wtih the lever-arm for effecting the disengagement of the abutments, substantially as set forth.

5. In a composing mechanism, the combination with the escapements, of a pin-barrel in operative connection therewith and seatings throughout the barrel and of greater number than the pins for securing interchangeability of the said pins, substantially as set forth.

6. In a composing mechanism, the combination with a rotating barrel having holes with tributary slots, of detachable headed pins for the said slots, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a linotype or analogous machine having the usual series of finger-keys, a mechanism to select certain matrices in a predetermined order, and manually-controllable driving connections between the linotype-machine and said mechanism.

8. In combination with a linotype-machine having the usual complement of finger-keys, mechanism for repeatedly actuating selected keys in a predetermined order, connections for driving said mechanism from the linotypeunder the control of the operator for throwing it into action at will.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED BEAN.

Witnesses:

OWEN S. LANGFORD, CHAS. S. WOODROFFE. 

